US4012867A - Growth of plants - Google Patents

Growth of plants Download PDF

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Publication number
US4012867A
US4012867A US05/675,168 US67516876A US4012867A US 4012867 A US4012867 A US 4012867A US 67516876 A US67516876 A US 67516876A US 4012867 A US4012867 A US 4012867A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
carbon dioxide
wall
gas
relatively
permeability
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US05/675,168
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English (en)
Inventor
David Lindsay Guy Lainchbury
John Edward Preedy
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
BP PLC
Original Assignee
BP PLC
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by BP PLC filed Critical BP PLC
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US4012867A publication Critical patent/US4012867A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
    • A01G9/00—Cultivation in receptacles, forcing-frames or greenhouses; Edging for beds, lawn or the like
    • A01G9/18—Greenhouses for treating plants with carbon dioxide or the like
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
    • Y10T428/24—Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]
    • Y10T428/24628—Nonplanar uniform thickness material
    • Y10T428/24661—Forming, or cooperating to form cells

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method of promoting the growth of plants and to articles for use in the method.
  • a method for promoting the growth of plants comprises (a) growing the plants within an closed plant-enclosing structure having a light transmitting outer wall relatively impermeable to carbon dioxide and an inner light-transmitting wall relatively permeable to carbon dioxide, the inner and outer walls being spaced apart to enclose a closed gas space, (b) and feeding carbon dioxide into the closed gas space.
  • a closed structure for enclosing plants which comprises a light-transmitting outer wall relatively impermeable to carbon dioxide and an inner light-transmitting wall relatively permeable to carbon dioxide and gas-admitting means for introducing, between the inner and outer walls, carbon dioxide gas.
  • the ⁇ closed ⁇ plant-protecting structure of the present invention is one which can be sufficiently closed off from the outside atmosphere to prevent a loss of heat sufficient to nullify the thermal insulation provided by the double wall and to allow a carbon dioxide partial pressure above that in the atmosphere to be maintained.
  • the ⁇ closed ⁇ gas space between the inner and outer walls is one which is sufficiently cut off from the exterior and interior of the plant enclosing structure to allow the gas within the space to provide a useful degree of thermal insulation and to allow a partial pressure of carbon dioxide above that within the plant-enclosing structure to be maintained within the gas space enclosed between the inner and outer walls.
  • the wall which is "relatively impermeable" to carbon dioxide allows only a relatively small proportion of any carbon dioxide fed to the closed gas space to diffuse into the atmosphere outside, preferably not more than 0.1% by weight.
  • the relatively permeable wall is one which is permeable relative to the outer wall.
  • the average concentration of carbon dioxide above the plants in a 24 hr. period in the method of the present invention is preferably at least double the normal CO 2 level in the atmosphere.
  • the panel may be a rigid panel which may be clipped together with other panels or mounted on a frame to give the plant-enclosing structure.
  • the panel of sheets of flexible material joined together so as to be capable of inflation by passing gas into the panel through the gas admitting means. It is further preferred to provide connections between the opposed walls of the panel so that on inflation the panel has a slab-like appearance rather than tending to take up a spherical form.
  • the plant-enclosing structure of the present invention may be constructed by connecting together a plurality of panels to form the walls and roof of the structure.
  • an inflatable panel is made from flexible sheets of material
  • the plant-enclosing structure may be constructed by disposing a single panel over a supporting frame. The space within the plant-enclosing structure may be enclosed entirely by the panel. It may be more convenient, however, to dispose the panel so as to form a passage having an inverted V- or U-shaped cross-section and to provide a separate closures for the ends of the passage.
  • the plant-enclosing structure may be maintained upright by means of a rigid framework supporting the walls.
  • the walls may themselves be made of material sufficiently rigid to maintain the structure upright without any framework.
  • the walls of the structure when the walls of the structure are flexible it may be kept upright by maintaining a pressure within the structure above atmospheric pressure.
  • sufficient pressure may be maintained in the gas space between the inner and outer walls of the structure when these are of flexible material to provide sufficient rigidity to maintain the structure upright.
  • inflatable panels may also be possible using inflatable panels to give the panel sufficient rigidity, by inflating the panel, to maintain the structure.
  • the preferred inflatable panel may be constituted from two sheets of the same light-transmitting flexible plastics material which has a low permeability to carbon dioxide, the necessary increase in permeability in one wall being achieved by mechanically forming very small pores in the sheet constituting that wall so that gas diffuses more rapidly through that sheet.
  • the size and number of such pores should not, however, be such that the panel cannot be maintained in an inflated condition by the gas supply available.
  • one wall of the panel from a flexible sheet of plastics material which has a low permeability to carbon dioxide and the opposed wall from a material that inherently has a higher permeability to carbon dioxide.
  • a suitable material for the wall which is relatively impermeable to carbon dioxide is polyvinyl chloride having a thickness between 25 ⁇ m and 250 ⁇ m e.g. 125 ⁇ m while a suitable material for the wall which is relatively permeable to carbon dioxide is oriented low density polyethylene having a thickness between 12 ⁇ m and 125 ⁇ m e.g. 25 ⁇ m.
  • the wall which is relatively permeable to carbon dioxide may, for example, be between 50 and 1,000 times, for example 500 times more permeable to carbon dioxide than the wall which is relatively permeable to carbon dioxide.
  • the permeability of the wall which is relatively impermeable to carbon dioxide is preferably less than 9 ⁇ 10.sup. -10 kg/m 2 /sec, more particularly 1.6 ⁇ 10.sup. -10 kg/m 2 /sec under the conditions to which the wall is subjected in use.
  • the panel may be inflated solely by carbon dioxide gas, the panel being connected to a cylinder of carbon dioxide gas to compensate for the total loss of gas from the panel.
  • the panel is substantially impermeable to oxygen or nitrogen it may be inflated with say air and only sufficient carbon dioxide need be fed to the panel to maintain the partial pressure of carbon dioxide within the panel at the level, above that in the atmosphere outside, required to give the desired partial pressure of carbon dioxide within the plant-enclosing structure.
  • the partial pressure of carbon dioxide required in the panel for any given partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the plant-enclosing structure will depend on the absolute permeability of the relatively permeable wall, the relative permeability of the two walls and the extent to which carbon dioxide can escape from the structure.
  • the source of carbon dioxide may be a cylinder of carbon dioxide. Alternatively waste flue gas may be used.
  • a particularly advantageous feature of the present invention is that many of the plastics materials which have an inherently high permeability to carbon dioxide show an increase in permeability when the temperature rises.
  • a larger quantity of carbon dioxide can pass through the wall into the interior of the plant-enclosing structure at times when the temperature is high. At such times the sunlight is usually bright and the plants are growing most rapidly and have the greatest need for carbon dioxide.
  • a further advantage of the present invention is that the carbon dioxide is released into the plant-enclosing structure over the whole area of the wall which is relatively permeable to carbon dioxide. This gives a more uniform distribution of carbon dioxide in the interior of the plant-enclosing structure.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a greenhouse with the double walled plastics covering partially cut away;
  • FIG. 2 is a cross-section of a small portion of the double walled plastics covering of the greenhouse shown in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another form of a greenhouse according to the invention with the double walled plastics covering partially cut away;
  • FIG. 4 is a cross-section of a pipe connection for admitting carbon dioxide into a greenhouse according to FIG. 3.
  • FIG. 1 shows a greenhouse constructed from a plurality of support frames 1 each in the form of an inverted U and whose ends are buried in the ground.
  • the support frames are linked by a connecting beam 2.
  • a double walled covering 3 of quilted construction is placed over the frames. This covering is made (as is shown in more detail in FIG. 2) from an outer film 4 of transparent polyvinyl chloride 125 ⁇ m thick and an inner film 5 of transparent low density polyethylene 25 ⁇ m thick.
  • the films are joined along lines 6 to give a quilted sheet.
  • the separation between the lines of contact 6 may be for example 2 feet.
  • the outer and inner plastics films are sealed together at each end of the greenhouse to give a gas-tight space between the two plastics films.
  • Means are provided (not shown) for introducing carbon dioxide into each of the sections to which the outer covering is divided.
  • Walls of glass or plastics are provided in each end of the greenhouse and the lower ends of the outer plastics covering are buried in a trench surrounding the greenhouse so as to seal the interior of the greenhouse.
  • FIG. 3 shows another form of greenhouse according to the invention.
  • This has support frames 1 whose ends are buried in the ground and a connecting beam 2 which connects the frames 1 together and a covering 3 of double walled plastics film disposed over the support frames.
  • the outer plastics film 4 is of transparent polyvinyl chloride 125 ⁇ m thick and the inner layer 5 is of transparent low density polyethylene 25 ⁇ m thick.
  • the inner and outer plastics films are not quilted together as in FIG. 1 but are separated by the connecting beam 2. Apart from the arrangement of the plastics films the greenhouse is as described for FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 4 Means for admitting carbon dioxide gas for use in the greenhouse shown in FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 4.
  • the connecting means 8 comprises a pipe which projects through the outer wall of the greenhouse so that carbon dioxide introduced into the pipe can enter the gas space between the walls through projecting portion 9.
  • the outer wall surrounding the connector is trapped between gaskets 10 and 12.
  • Gasket 10 bears against a flange 11 fast with the pipe 8.
  • a washer 13 is caused to bear against the gasket 12 by a nut 14 threadably engaged with a screw-threaded portion 15 of the pipe 8.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Greenhouses (AREA)
US05/675,168 1975-04-09 1976-04-08 Growth of plants Expired - Lifetime US4012867A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
UK14546/75 1975-04-09
GB14546/75A GB1539731A (en) 1975-04-09 1975-04-09 Growth of plants

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US4012867A true US4012867A (en) 1977-03-22

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ID=10043181

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US05/675,168 Expired - Lifetime US4012867A (en) 1975-04-09 1976-04-08 Growth of plants

Country Status (9)

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US (1) US4012867A (US07935154-20110503-C00018.png)
JP (1) JPS51124544A (US07935154-20110503-C00018.png)
BE (1) BE840492A (US07935154-20110503-C00018.png)
CA (1) CA1021940A (US07935154-20110503-C00018.png)
DE (1) DE2613548A1 (US07935154-20110503-C00018.png)
FR (1) FR2306627A1 (US07935154-20110503-C00018.png)
GB (1) GB1539731A (US07935154-20110503-C00018.png)
IT (1) IT1059052B (US07935154-20110503-C00018.png)
NL (1) NL7603633A (US07935154-20110503-C00018.png)

Cited By (26)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4073089A (en) * 1976-09-27 1978-02-14 Canadian Patents And Development Limited Utilization of exhaust gases for plant growth
FR2425007A2 (fr) * 1978-05-05 1979-11-30 Rudy M F Dispositif se gonflant automatiquement par penetration de l'air exterieur par diffusion
USRE30774E (en) * 1976-11-24 1981-10-20 Lightweight removable cover for a pool, greenhouse or the like
US4313279A (en) * 1979-12-10 1982-02-02 George Greenbaum Agricultural system with articulated members
US4335545A (en) * 1980-01-29 1982-06-22 Couch James L Inflatable tent
US4509302A (en) * 1982-09-27 1985-04-09 Donatelli Eugene R Building structure
US4672889A (en) * 1985-06-24 1987-06-16 Lynch Gary M Building structures
US4815365A (en) * 1988-04-21 1989-03-28 Dupont Daniel L Self-ventilating greenhouse
US4821453A (en) * 1987-02-17 1989-04-18 Morehead James B Plant protecting and growth enhancing device
US4833837A (en) * 1986-02-07 1989-05-30 Societe D'etudes Techniques Et D'entreprises Generales Sodeteg Folding radome
US4955287A (en) * 1988-04-21 1990-09-11 Dupont Daniel L Self-ventilated greenhouse
US5216850A (en) * 1991-01-14 1993-06-08 Kemper Thomas S Portable garage apparatus
US5309684A (en) * 1991-11-20 1994-05-10 Shmuel Davidovici Multipurpose dry storage system
US5433030A (en) * 1994-04-06 1995-07-18 Lehman; John E. Plant protector
US6009680A (en) * 1996-08-14 2000-01-04 Mathews; Linden H. Structural clip for use in assembling wire frame structures, wire frame structure, and method of arranging components of a wire frame structure for packaging
WO2000064253A2 (en) * 1999-04-23 2000-11-02 Greentech, Inc. Plant growth improvement for modular plant systems
US6282834B1 (en) * 1999-05-24 2001-09-04 Clifford L. Mossey Insulating light transmissive and flexible greenhouse cover
US6843019B2 (en) * 2000-06-08 2005-01-18 Joseph Mercurio Horticultural greenhouse with removable cover
US20070062106A1 (en) * 2005-09-13 2007-03-22 Dunbar Paul R Landscape protection device
WO2007148976A1 (en) * 2006-06-19 2007-12-27 Bicotec As A climate control device for a greenhouse
US20090007779A1 (en) * 2007-05-17 2009-01-08 Coignet Philippe A Method and system of providing carbon dioxide-enriched gas for greenhouses
US20090217577A1 (en) * 2006-04-13 2009-09-03 Peter Krabbendam Method and device to accelerate growth
US8291648B1 (en) * 2010-02-18 2012-10-23 Orr James R Portable structure
US20170325411A1 (en) * 2016-05-12 2017-11-16 Stewart E. Erickson Aerial fluid application technology for orchards, vineyards and the like
US10167624B1 (en) * 2017-08-31 2019-01-01 Craig Hodgetts Mobile shelter and method of erecting the same
US10426103B2 (en) 2015-02-24 2019-10-01 Gaïa Écosystèmes Inc. Multilevel closed ecosystem greenhouse

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS61182246U (US07935154-20110503-C00018.png) * 1985-05-01 1986-11-13
GB8613418D0 (en) * 1986-06-03 1986-07-09 Monro Alexander & Co Ltd Plant shelter
JPH0824491B2 (ja) * 1986-06-02 1996-03-13 清水建設株式会社 温室構造
GB2205723B (en) * 1987-06-17 1991-05-15 Norman David Weiss Growing plants
GB2316963B (en) * 1996-08-28 2000-08-30 Kevin Hardinge Building constructions

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2782794A (en) * 1955-01-28 1957-02-26 Norman W White Pneumatic tent structure
US2910994A (en) * 1957-05-08 1959-11-03 Kenneth E Joy Inflatable inclosure
US3389510A (en) * 1966-04-06 1968-06-25 Richard R. Stock Shelter
US3741631A (en) * 1970-03-16 1973-06-26 Laing Nikolaus Radiation incidence control means
US3769763A (en) * 1972-05-31 1973-11-06 J Kwake Air inflatable structure

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2782794A (en) * 1955-01-28 1957-02-26 Norman W White Pneumatic tent structure
US2910994A (en) * 1957-05-08 1959-11-03 Kenneth E Joy Inflatable inclosure
US3389510A (en) * 1966-04-06 1968-06-25 Richard R. Stock Shelter
US3741631A (en) * 1970-03-16 1973-06-26 Laing Nikolaus Radiation incidence control means
US3769763A (en) * 1972-05-31 1973-11-06 J Kwake Air inflatable structure

Cited By (35)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4073089A (en) * 1976-09-27 1978-02-14 Canadian Patents And Development Limited Utilization of exhaust gases for plant growth
USRE30774E (en) * 1976-11-24 1981-10-20 Lightweight removable cover for a pool, greenhouse or the like
FR2425007A2 (fr) * 1978-05-05 1979-11-30 Rudy M F Dispositif se gonflant automatiquement par penetration de l'air exterieur par diffusion
US4313279A (en) * 1979-12-10 1982-02-02 George Greenbaum Agricultural system with articulated members
US4335545A (en) * 1980-01-29 1982-06-22 Couch James L Inflatable tent
US4509302A (en) * 1982-09-27 1985-04-09 Donatelli Eugene R Building structure
US4672889A (en) * 1985-06-24 1987-06-16 Lynch Gary M Building structures
US4833837A (en) * 1986-02-07 1989-05-30 Societe D'etudes Techniques Et D'entreprises Generales Sodeteg Folding radome
US4821453A (en) * 1987-02-17 1989-04-18 Morehead James B Plant protecting and growth enhancing device
US4955287A (en) * 1988-04-21 1990-09-11 Dupont Daniel L Self-ventilated greenhouse
US4815365A (en) * 1988-04-21 1989-03-28 Dupont Daniel L Self-ventilating greenhouse
US5216850A (en) * 1991-01-14 1993-06-08 Kemper Thomas S Portable garage apparatus
US5309684A (en) * 1991-11-20 1994-05-10 Shmuel Davidovici Multipurpose dry storage system
US5433030A (en) * 1994-04-06 1995-07-18 Lehman; John E. Plant protector
US6009680A (en) * 1996-08-14 2000-01-04 Mathews; Linden H. Structural clip for use in assembling wire frame structures, wire frame structure, and method of arranging components of a wire frame structure for packaging
WO2000064253A3 (en) * 1999-04-23 2001-10-04 Greentech Inc Plant growth improvement for modular plant systems
WO2000064253A2 (en) * 1999-04-23 2000-11-02 Greentech, Inc. Plant growth improvement for modular plant systems
US6282834B1 (en) * 1999-05-24 2001-09-04 Clifford L. Mossey Insulating light transmissive and flexible greenhouse cover
US6843019B2 (en) * 2000-06-08 2005-01-18 Joseph Mercurio Horticultural greenhouse with removable cover
US20070062106A1 (en) * 2005-09-13 2007-03-22 Dunbar Paul R Landscape protection device
US8756858B2 (en) * 2006-04-13 2014-06-24 Linde Ag Process and device to accelerate growth
US20090217577A1 (en) * 2006-04-13 2009-09-03 Peter Krabbendam Method and device to accelerate growth
WO2007148976A1 (en) * 2006-06-19 2007-12-27 Bicotec As A climate control device for a greenhouse
US20090007779A1 (en) * 2007-05-17 2009-01-08 Coignet Philippe A Method and system of providing carbon dioxide-enriched gas for greenhouses
US9187892B1 (en) * 2010-02-18 2015-11-17 James R. Orr Portable structure
US8756876B1 (en) * 2010-02-18 2014-06-24 James R. Orr Portable structure
US8291648B1 (en) * 2010-02-18 2012-10-23 Orr James R Portable structure
US9458622B1 (en) * 2010-02-18 2016-10-04 James R. Orr Portable structure
US9951512B1 (en) * 2010-02-18 2018-04-24 James R. Orr Portable structure
US10214894B1 (en) * 2010-02-18 2019-02-26 James R. Orr Portable structure
US10426103B2 (en) 2015-02-24 2019-10-01 Gaïa Écosystèmes Inc. Multilevel closed ecosystem greenhouse
US20170325411A1 (en) * 2016-05-12 2017-11-16 Stewart E. Erickson Aerial fluid application technology for orchards, vineyards and the like
US10165732B2 (en) * 2016-05-12 2019-01-01 Stewart E. Erickson Aerial fluid application technology for orchards, vineyards and the like
US10999975B2 (en) * 2016-05-12 2021-05-11 The Agricultural Gas Company Aerial fluid application technology for orchards, vineyards and the like
US10167624B1 (en) * 2017-08-31 2019-01-01 Craig Hodgetts Mobile shelter and method of erecting the same

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE840492A (fr) 1976-10-07
NL7603633A (nl) 1976-10-12
GB1539731A (en) 1979-01-31
JPS51124544A (en) 1976-10-30
CA1021940A (en) 1977-12-06
FR2306627A1 (fr) 1976-11-05
IT1059052B (it) 1982-05-31
FR2306627B3 (US07935154-20110503-C00018.png) 1978-12-29
DE2613548A1 (de) 1976-10-21

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